83 m. ago Time for England to end Calcutta Cup blues and show France was no fluke | Robert Kitson

Red Rose have lost four in row against Scots, but if they can back up Les Bleus win there will be talk of top-two finishIn recent times the Calcutta Cup has morphed into the “Scottish play” the English would rather not mention by name. One Red Rose win in seven attempts and four consecutive victories for Gregor Townsend’s side has certainly been an uncomfortable sequence for those who, for decades, regarded death and taxes as only marginally more inevitable than Scotland losing down south.So much for the supposed dead weight of history. “What’s done cannot be undone,” murmured Lady Macbeth but she wasn’t privy to the skill and daring of Finn Russell or the killer finishing of Duhan van der Merwe. The last time England lost three or more consecutive home games in this fixture was in the early 1900s before Twickenham became their spiritual home. Continue reading...

Politics

86 m. ago Luigi Mangione live updates: Female supporters pack courthouse ahead of accused shooter’s appearance

The 26-year-old returns to Manhattan court today for the first time since December arraignment

Events

2 h. ago Hundreds turn out for the funeral of 'murdered' teen Harvey Willgoose, 15, who 'was stabbed in the heart with hunting knife in front of fellow pupils'

Harvey Willgoose, 15, will be taken to Sheffield Cathedral in South Yorksshire in a red and white coffin - which are the colours of his beloved Sheffield United FC.

Events

2 h. ago Jerry Butler, soul hitmaker and Illinois politician, dies aged 85

Singer and songwriter who had a longstanding partnership with Curtis Mayfield earned the nickname ‘Iceman’ for his cool demeanourJerry Butler, the US singer and songwriter who had a string of 1960s pop and soul hits before a long career in Illinois politics, has died aged 85.According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Butler died at home on Thursday. He had been living with Parkinson’s disease. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Kendrick Lamar earns first number one UK single with diss track Not Like Us

He performed the track during his Super Bowl LIX half-time show.

Politics

2 h. ago South Carolina man to be killed in US’s first firing squad execution in 15 years

Brad Sigmon, 67, chooses to be shot dead amid concerns that lethal injections have caused ‘excruciating’ painA South Carolina man on death row has chosen to be killed by firing squad, and if his execution goes forward next month, it would be the first time in 15 years that capital punishment in the US is carried out by gunfire.Brad Sigmon, 67, is scheduled to be shot to death on 7 March, part of a spate of rapid killings the state has pursued in the last six months as it revives executions after a 13-year pause. South Carolina now directs those on death row to choose how they will be killed – electric chair, lethal injection or shooting. If they decline to make a selection, the state electrocutes them. Continue reading...

Events

2 h. ago Champions League fixtures confirmed as Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa learn dates

Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool will participate in the Champions League Round of 16 next month with all three teams learning their fixture dates and kick-off times

Sport

3 h. ago Georgia Hunter Bell returns to scene of breakthrough as British athletics' woman to beat

Georgia Hunter Bell made waves when becoming indoor champion 12 months ago, earning her a professional deal on the way to a remarkable Olympic medal. This weekend she looks to retain her title in Birmingham

Politics

3 h. ago Parker vs Bakole start time, undercard and how to watch heavyweight fight

Joseph Parker fights Martin Bakole on two days’ notice, after IBF champion Daneil Dubois fell ill

Politics

3 h. ago England to show ‘nastiness’ as Itoje backs side to wrestle back Calcutta Cup

Captain calls on his team to ‘create our own history’Assistant coach Tom Harrison: ‘there’s a nastiness to us’England have vowed to show their nasty side against Scotland on Saturday with the captain, Maro Itoje, calling on his team to buck the trend of recent history by clinching the Calcutta Cup for the first time in five years.Buoyed by their one-point victory over France last time out, England have been champing at the bit all week with Tom Curry saying there was an edginess to training on Monday and Ben Earl revealing the squad were subjecting to a series of video clips showcasing their failings in recent defeats by Scotland. Continue reading...

Politics

3 h. ago Wales U20s v Ireland Live: TV channel, start time and latest score updates

Wales U20s face a tricky task against Ireland U20s tonight

Politics

3 h. ago Man City star Kevin De Bruyne has already hinted at his next club after Pep Guardiola admission

Manchester City will remain indebted to Kevin De Bruyne, but his time at the Etihad Stadium could be nearing a conclusion.

Events

3 h. ago EastEnders' Martin Fowler actor's love story with wife from Sainsbury's meeting to heartbreak

Martin Fowler, played by James Bye, was killed off in the live episode of EastEnders just after heart-wrenching proposal to his ex-wife. In real life, James is happily married

Politics

3 h. ago Trump administration looks to slash HUD workers tackling the housing crisis

The Trump administration’s proposal to layoff half of federal workers at the nation’s housing agency is targeting employees who support disaster recovery, rental subsidies, discrimination investigations and first-time homebuyers, according to two documents obtained by The Associated Press

Politics

3 h. ago Pep Guardiola hints at Man City clearout in the summer: ‘That is the reality’

Guardiola conceded time may now be catching up with some of his squad

Politics

3 h. ago Football Daily | Bigger Cup’s Bigger Draw serves up a buffet of fantasy football thrills

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!A Bigger Cup needs a Bigger Draw. Last year Uefa set out the tournament brackets from the quarter-final onwards, showing Real Madrid which particular jails they might need to escape to win the competition for the 15th time. This year Uefa have gone one better by doing the draw for the rest of the tournament at the last-16 stage. It’s a punch up the bracket for Manchester City, who can now empathise with every failed Bullseye contestant. Look what they could have won: Atlético Madrid in the last 16, then Arsenal or PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals, then maybe Liverpool in the semis. Continue reading...

Sport

4 h. ago Connor Syme and Grant Forrest in Muthaiga mix at happy hunting ground for Scots

Title has fallen five times to players flying Saltire after Brian Barnes landed first win in 1981

Politics

4 h. ago Street food, fine dining and local cooking – a culinary journey through Jordan

Like so many of our meals in Jordan, the food keeps coming. Creamy hummus in pools of olive oil, fresh tabbouleh salad topped with parsley, fluffy bread still puffed up from the oven, tender cuts of lamb marinated in spices, and tomato stewed with herbs and mince topped with pine nuts. All finished with semolina cake soaked in syrup, and accompanied by cold limonana – a slushy minty concoction often considered Jordan’s national drink.

Society

4 h. ago Pet owner hit with £3,000 fine after ‘nightmare’ cockerel crows 76 times an hour

One neighbour described the unruly bird as a ‘nuisance, a nightmare’

Economics

4 h. ago Amazon slashes £300 off smart TV and subwoofer bundle with 'crisp picture and sound'

The Amazon limited time offer means you can get your hands on the smart TV bundle with over 20 per cent off

Economics